JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The first IKEA store in Northeast Florida is closer to its highly anticipated opening in Jacksonville.

Construction is complete on the outside of the store, which is on Gate Parkway just off I-295. The iconic blue and yellow panels adorn the exterior of the 290,000-square-foot facility, and progress can be heard inside.

"The team is so talented in that they can put the stuff together so easily, so sometimes I'm thinking, 'Can I get them to come to my house to put them together?'" IKEA store manager Leontyne Sykes said.

At least 10,000 items will be sold at the Jacksonville IKEA store, and crews are in the process of assembling those products, paying close attention to instruction manuals posted throughout the store.

Some elements will be unique to Jacksonville's IKEA, like a one-story layout designed so shoppers won't have to walk through a maze to get what they already know they want.

"We have lots of shortcuts, so just look at the ceiling, at the signs to get around,” Sykes said.

Parents will be happy to hear the supervised play area for children will still be a feature, as will the store's restaurant, which is known for its Swedish meatballs.

The IKEA will also have the onsite warehouse, so furniture can be picked up directly instead of shipped. Alos, when it opens, the store will include IKEA's newly launched pet line.

IKEA brings an economic impact to Northeast Florida, investing about $36 million for land and development. The competitive prices for its products have caused what's been coined the "IKEA Effect" and the store is expected to attract shoppers from across Florida, Georgia and beyond

IKEA is still hiring for both full-time and seasonal positions. When the store opens sometime this fall, it will employ about 250 people.